Understanding and Comparing Citation Metrics

When evaluating scholarly publications, you will encounter various citation metrics. These metrics help you quickly assess the visibility and influence of research outputs across different research areas.

At a glance: Main citation metrics discussed below

JIF: Common benchmark for journal visibility
CiteScore: Broader document types + longer citation window
SJR: Prestige-based indicator
FWCI: Compares research outputs across fields

📌 Note: Each metric uses different data sources and calculation methods, so values are not directly comparable. Use metrics as guidance tools, not absolute measures of quality.

Overview of common citation metrics

Metric	Produced by / Data source	Citation time window	Measures	Key features	Typical use
Impact Factor (JIF)	Clarivate, Journal Citation Reports (Web of Science)	2 years	Average number of citations per article in a given year to papers published in the two previous years	Covers only “citable” items (articles and reviews). Varies strongly between disciplines.	Common benchmark for journal visibility in Web of Science.
CiteScore	Elsevier (Scopus)	4 years	Average number of citations per document (articles, reviews, conference papers, etc.) over four years	Includes more document types than JIF; longer citation window.	Alternative to JIF based on Scopus data.
SCImago Journal Rank (SJR)	SCImago Research Group, based on Scopus data (journals only)	3 years	Weighted citations reflecting prestige of journals	Works like Google’s PageRank – citations from high-prestige sources count more. Journals grouped in quartiles (Q1–Q4).	Indicates journal prestige and influence within its field.
Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI)	Elsevier (Scopus / SciVal)	Field-normalized (no fixed time window)	Compares how often a publication is cited versus what is expected for similar works globally	FWCI = 1.0 → world average; >1.0 → above average; <1.0 → below average.	Measures citation impact of research outputs, authors, or institutions.

Key points per metric

Impact Factor (JIF)

Relative to the average within the same research field
Higher values indicate more citations per article over a 2-year window

CiteScore

Similar to JIF but with a 4-year window and includes more document types
Absolute values vary across fields; compare with outputs in the same discipline

SCImago Journal Rank (SJR)

Accounts for the prestige of citing journals (high SJR = citations from high-prestige journals)
Use as a relative indicator within a field

Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI)

Field-normalized per research output: 1.0 = world average; >1 → above average; <1 → below average
Allows comparison across different research areas and years

General advice

1. Interpret metrics carefully

Always interpret metrics relative to the specific research field and publication type, except for field-normalized metrics like FWCI, which allow cross-field comparisons.
Citation practices vary between disciplines; a high value in one field may correspond to a low value in another.

2. Use multiple metrics

Consider multiple metrics together to get a more complete picture of impact and prestige.

3. Use metrics for purpose

Use FWCI when comparing research outputs across different fields.
Use SJR to assess journal prestige rather than sheer citation count.

💡 Tip: Think of metrics as complementary indicators; no single metric tells the whole story.

Key takeaway

Metrics are guidance tools, not absolute measures; they do not replace qualitative evaluation.

Metrics checking tools

Metric	Clarivate JCR (Clarivate)	SciVal (Elsevier)	Scopus (Elsevier)	SCImago Journal & Country Rank (SCImago Research Group)
Impact Factor (JIF)	✅	✖	✖	✖
CiteScore	✖	✅	✅	✖
SCImago Journal Rank (SJR)	✖	✖	⚠ Partial: via Scopus Sources (for journals)	✅
Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI)	✖	✅	✅	✖

Resources and further reading

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